"Okay, thank you, Peter."
Standing atop a Brooklyn clhurch, Gwen hung up the phone. She had just called Peter to ask him to request a leave of absence on her behalf from Miss Fish.
"As expected, I'm going to be late again," she muttered, adjusting her white spider mask.
During the call, Peter had mentioned Harry's situation.
"I hope Harry's dad is okay. Maybe I should visit him. After all, Harry's family did a lot to help when my dad was in a coma in the hospital," she mused.
As Gwen prepared to leave, she noticed a little blonde girl standing in a yard below, frantically calling out.
"Can anyone help?"
Gwen's eyes followed the girl's gaze to a tall tree where a British Shorthair black cat clung to a branch, scratching at it nervously.
"Let me help you."
With a swift motion, Gwen shot a web toward the tree and swung over. She reached out and gently plucked the cat from the branch.
"Come here, kitty," she said, landing softly on the ground. She extended the cat to the girl. "Here, your cat. He looks cute."
To her surprise, the little girl placed her hands on her hips and glared at her angrily.
"Uh… is there a problem?" Gwen asked, confused.
"Of course, there's a problem!" the girl huffed. "This isn't my cat!"
Gwen blinked.
"I'm a member of the Tree Love Club, and that cat was damaging the tree! You should've let it stay up there!"
For a moment, Gwen froze, still holding the cat midair.
"Well… actually, I don't like cats either. Especially black cats," she admitted awkwardly.
The little girl shot her a glare before turning and storming off.
After the girl left, Gwen let out a deep sigh.
Her first act as a superhero, and she had already failed.
Just as she was about to swing away, she noticed an elderly woman standing in the middle of the road.
The woman, leaning heavily on a cane, was struggling to cross.
Unfortunately, the pedestrian light had turned red, and a speeding car was heading straight toward her.
Reacting instantly, Gwen fired a web and swung down, scooping the woman up just in time.
"Ma'am, safety first!" she said as she gently set the woman down on the sidewalk.
Then she noticed the woman's bag, still on the street.
Before she could retrieve it, a passing car ran it over with a loud crunch.
"Uh-oh."
Gwen winced, watching the bag get flattened.
She turned to the elderly woman with an apologetic smile.
"Well… at least you're safe, right?"
But instead of gratitude, the woman pointed across the street.
"I was trying to go over there."
Gwen: "..."
She stood frozen for a moment, then awkwardly took a step back.
"I'm really sorry!" she blurted out before hurriedly swinging away.
After two frustrating failures, Gwen's mood was at an all-time low.
But as she neared school, she spotted something that finally felt like a real superhero mission—a robbery in progress.
A man had just snatched a woman's purse and was sprinting into an alley.
Gwen didn't hesitate. She swung down and landed directly in the thief's path.
"Hey, tough luck, buddy," she quipped.
She fired a web, ensnaring his wrist before he could react. With a swift movement, she yanked him forward and delivered a solid punch, knocking him to the ground.
Finally, something had gone right.
Gwen picked up the purse, then grabbed the thief by the arm and led him out of the alley.
As she stepped into the open, she noticed a woman standing there, stunned. But before she could hand her the purse, Gwen realized they weren't alone.
A news crew was standing beside the woman.
One person held a camera, and the other a microphone.
The female reporter's eyes widened in excitement.
"Spider-Man?!"
Gwen stiffened.
The reporter rushed forward.
"Spider-Man, why have you changed your costume? Does it have any special meaning?"
Gwen immediately waved her hands.
"I'm not Spider-Man!"
The reporter's eyes gleamed with curiosity.
"Then who are you?"
Gwen suddenly felt like she was dealing with Liz Allen again.
"Um… I just wanted to help this lady. Sorry, I have to go!"
She quickly handed the purse to the woman and swung away before the reporter could ask more questions.
Meanwhile, at Peter's house…
Aunt May and Uncle Ben sat in the living room, watching the news.
The female reporter was broadcasting a segment about the new masked vigilante.
"The new Spider-Man has appeared! But this time, it seems to be a woman!"
Peter, sitting at the table, glanced at his phone.
Gwen had just sent him a series of frustrated messages about her rough morning.
Aunt May flipped a pancake and chuckled.
"Another Spider-Man? Or should we say Spider-Woman?"
Uncle Ben, sipping his coffee, nodded.
"Looks like our city's getting safer."
Peter remained quiet, listening to their conversation.
After a moment, he asked, "Which one do you think is better?"
Aunt May smiled at him.
"Why compare? I think they're both great kids."
Then she glanced at Uncle Ben.
"But I bet someone here is feeling a little uneasy. Your Uncle Ben was quite the troublemaker in his youth."
Peter looked at Uncle Ben in shock.
"Uncle Ben? A troublemaker?"
Uncle Ben cleared his throat.
"Ahem… well, back when I was dating your Aunt May, I wasn't exactly a rule-follower."
He adjusted his glasses and grinned.
"For example, my mom wasn't much of a drinker, but she kept a bottle of green mint liqueur under her bed. One day, I stole it and ran straight to May's house."
Peter raised an eyebrow.
"Then I threw something at her window to get her attention. Not a rock—I'm not an idiot—but a branch. Their house was an old country farmhouse, so the glass was easy to break."
Uncle Ben chuckled.
"Then we climbed trees in the forest and talked all night."
Aunt May gave him a pointed look.
"That's exactly the problem, Ben. If Spider-Man had been around back then, you would've gotten a lesson in responsibility."
Peter stared.
So Uncle Ben had been a wild one? Sneaking out with Aunt May? Throwing branches at windows?
Meanwhile, at the hospital…
Norman Osborn stood in front of a window, his arms wrapped in bandages.
He lowered his phone after watching the news.
A new Spider-Man had appeared.
Or rather, a Spider-Woman.
Under the dim hospital lights, his eyes flickered red.
The color deepened, spreading until his entire sclera turned a dark, eerie shade.
A slow, menacing grin stretched across his lips.
Something dark was awakening.